The present invention relates to an improved form liner for fabricating non-linear shapes. In large construction projects such as in building large concrete supports for bridges, typically, the supports are formed out of reinforced concrete in place at the site of the construction. Concrete bridge supports have some sides and ends that may be linear and others that are arcuate or of other non-linear or complex shapes, depending upon the particular circumstances of the topography, geography, and specific location of the bridge supports. As such, non-standard shaped forms must be created in order to facilitate pouring concrete for the purpose of creating such bridge supports.
In the prior art, it is known to create complex forms to facilitate creation of bridge supports having complex shapes. Such, forms are often made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) or other foam materials. Such forms are fabricated as liners to accommodate to standard linear-sided forms already created by contractors and used over and over again.
With reference to FIG. 1, a typical contractor form is generally designated by the reference numeral 1 and is seen to include an end wall 2 and side walls 3 and 4 that are perpendicular thereto. FIG. 1 is looking down on the form from above. In order to facilitate creation of a bridge support having a non-linear shape, a prior art form liner is made having a periphery 5 typically made of plywood and adhered to an internal form shape 6 with a layer of adhesive 7. The form layer 6 is typically made of a material such as EPS.
As seen in FIG. 1, the form liner generally designated by the reference numeral 8 is configured so that the peripheral walls 5 match with the walls 2, 3 and 4 of the typical contractor form 1. The form liner 8 is removably attached to the form 1 through the use of screws 9 extending through the walls 2, 3 and 4 of the form 1 and into the walls 5 of the form liner 8.
Another way of attaching the form liner 8 to the contractor form 1 is to eliminate the wall 5 and directly adhere the EPS 6 to the form 1 walls 2, 3 and 4 using the adhesive layer 7. In the former case, including the walls 5 in the form liner 8 renders the form liner 8 extremely heavy, cumbersome, and expensive to manufacture. In the latter case, omitting the walls 5 and adhering the EPS foam 6 directly to the inner surfaces of the walls 2, 3 and 4 of the form 1 introduces an additional expense because it becomes labor intensive to remove the form liner 8 from the walls of the contractor form 1, requiring extensive scraping of the adhesive 7 off the inner surfaces of the walls 2, 3 and 4.
It should be understood that the forms 1 and liner 8 are often 20 to 30 feet tall or taller in some cases because they must be tall enough to receive reinforcing rebar and rods as well as all of the concrete necessary to create a bridge support that can be 20 to 30 feet tall or even taller in some cases.
As such, a need has developed for a form liner that reduces the weight of non-linear forms currently used, reduces the expense of their manufacture, and reduces the labor costs of their installation and removal. It is with these requirements in mind that the present invention was developed.